Electrometallurgical furnace.



F. LOUVRIER.

-ELBGTROMETALLURGIGAL FURNAGE.

APPLIGATION FILED 17116.18, 1909.

Patented' A311211, 1911.

Attorneys UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FB/ANQOIS LOUVIt-IER, OF MEXICO, MEXICO.

ELECTROMETALLURGICAL FURNACE.

989,169. Specification f Letters Patent. Patented A111111, 1911.

Application filed December 18, 1909. Serial No. 533,861.

To .all whom it may concern: l side conductor F, The walls of the reducing Be it known that I, FnANoIs LoUvnmR, chambers are formed of refractory matea 'citizen of .the Republic of France, residrial not susceptible of entering into react-ion ing at Mexico, Mexico, have invented cerwith the treated metal and slags. Between 60 tain new and useful Improvements in Electhe reducing chambers, is pla-ced the contrometallurgical Furnaces; and I do hereby densing chamber G, provided with passages declare that the following is a. full, clear, O for the entrance thereinto vof the zinc and exact description of the invention, such vapors generated in the reduction chambers as will enable others skilled in the art to I and II. The roof of each condensing 65 which it appertains to make and use the chamber is peaked, and its lower edges prosame. ject outwardly beyond the upright walls of The invention to be hereinafter described the chamber. The openings O are made relates to electrometallurgical furnaces, and through the upright walls at points directly particularly to the general class of such below the projecting edges of the roof, and' 70 furnaces especially adapted for the red'ucare guarded thereby, so that no ore can get tion of zinc ore and of metallic ores which into and obstruct the passages O. On reare volatile at their reducing temperatures. .ferring to Fig. l, it will-be seen that the ore lBroadly speaking, it comprises a furnace fed through the column II, falls directly body divided into reduction'and condensing ontovthe top of the condensing chamber G. 75 chambers, means for delivering the volatile The furnaces can be laid one against the metallic vapors from the reducing to the lother with the object of decreasing the condensing chamber, means for feeding ore number, of feeding columns. In order to to the reducing chambers, means for heating heat the ore to reducing temperature, adthe ore to volatilize it, and means for cooljustable electrodes E and E', secured to iron 80 ing the volatile metallic vapors. rods X, are mounted in stuffing boxes, which In order-to more clearly'disclose the conform parts of covers Q, secured to thefurstruction, operation and use of the invennace roof around the electrode openings. tion, reference should be had tothe accom- These electrodes may be raised or lowered panying drawings forming part of the presby any well known mechanism. A group 55 ent application. of shunted electrodes may be substituted Throughout` the several figures of the for the single electrodes, if desired. The drawings, like 4reference characters desigelectrodes are in circuit with the 4 current nate the same parts. used for reduction of the ores, the complete In the drawings: Figure l is a vertical active circuit including also the floors of 90 longitudinal section through a preferred the reduction chambers, the conductor F form 'of furnace for reduction of simple and the ores in the reducing chambers I and zinc ores; Fig. 2 is a cross section on linel II. In order to facilitate condensation of C-Dof Fig. 1; Fig. 'is a view similar to the vapors, a water jacket J or other con- .Figm l, showing a. furnace for reductionof ,trivance can be used on the interior of the 95 40 complex Zinc ores; and, Fig. 4 is a central condensing chamber, the jacket being adaptvertical cross -section through reduction ed to maintain this chamber at a temperachamber -I of Fi 3. ture just slightly above that of liquefaction Referring to t e drawings in detail, and of the metal. Insome instances, it is posparticularly to Figs` l and 2, the furnace as sible' that some of the'- vapors may remain 100 a whole is formed .with a plurality of re- .uncondensed in vthe `(pt hamber Gr.l Such duction chambers I and II, adaptedV to revapors may pass from the chamber G by ceive Zinc ores through the feeding columns wa)v of the. passage 4T. The slag may be II, which may be closed or cut oftl from the withdrawn `from .the 'reduction chambers chambers .by gates L, as shown at the right lthrough spouts Shand Vthe condensed metal 105 in Fig. 1. The wallsof the reduction chammay be withdrawn from the condensing bers are slightly tapered, so that they conchamber G through thespout M, A verge inwardly as they approach the bot-v The operation of this preferred forni of tom 4of the furnace, and the ioors` of `the the furnace is 'as follows: Ore is fed intol -chamberr-are made of an electrically conthe reducing` chambers I a1i'clII='tlnougl1tl\c 110.- .ducti've -materiaL"'and are .electrically con-g. loadingr columns H, by opening the gates L.;

' nccted lone with/the 4 other throughan outand tli'c electrodes E 'and E are adjusted /crtically to establish a current which will pass from one electrode through the ore in one reducing chamber, outthrough thcjconductor F, and up through the materialin BHthe other reducing chamber, completing the circuit )through the other electrode'. As the current passes through the zincore in the reducing chambers, the heatV generated will melt the oreand volatilize the zinc.

rise in rise, thefle'ss' dense ones will filter irou'gh the granular charge, givfpreliminary heat-ing. The volatilt being much denser, will l'not filter granular charge," but will be passf'through the openings O to o fjthe condensing .chamber G.

I Here they are'cooled: tofliquefaction by the' 20.l jacket J, and any uncondensed vapors may pass from the chamber G by way ofthe tube T.` As 'rapidly as the' charge is re- .du-ced and Vcondensechu'it is drawn oif through the spoutsM and S, thus rendering the furnace absolutely continuous.

When 'the zinc ores are complex and con- -vtain such additional metals as lead, copper,

densing chamber is somewhatdifferenti)Y I constructed, and the smelting current is conducted from one electrode toV the. other in a somewhat dilferent manner, the floors of the reduction chambers being made of a non-` electrically conductive material. The con- Vdensing chamber G r, in the modiiied form, is divided into two compartments, by a hori- 40 zontal partition P. The upper' compartnient forms the condensing chamber proper, while the lower compartment forms afcrucible Z for the reception of the melted nonl volatile metals, which flowjinto Vit Athrough passagesU made in the lower part ofthe Crucible. walls ,"in order` to' prevent the prolonved contact of; Ithe reduced metals with the reduction slag. tents of vthe Crucible may be withdrawn that the electric current may pass from one electrode to the other through-the reducing chambers.4 This layer is obtainedl by using thev spout R placed 'ust a 'few m1lli meters above the door of t e-furnace.

Suitable meters of' linown form may be used to indicate the amount and the tension ofthe electric current. It is clear that changeslmayjbemade' in the construction, arrangement andl dispositionof thesevcral 'parts 'of the invention, lwithout inany-way. departin from the field and sco e of thesame, an it 1s meant to include yalli The entire con# through the spout 4V, but. a' thin conducting layer may beleft uponthe floor 1n order.

closed.t

Havmg thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and. desire to secure by Letters Patent., is

1. A furnace of 'the character described lcomprising a furnace body, a condensing chamberlbuiltup within the furnace body in p y l I "such manner as to divide the interior there- The v'olatilized zinc and other gases will the' reductionychambers. As these inflow of volatilized metals from the reductionchambers; means" for charging the re- `duction chambers, and-means. for reducing the char c.

9. A urnace of the character described comprlsmg a furnace body, a' condensing chamber built up within the furnace body Vin such manner as to divide the interior thereof into two separate and distinct reduction chambers, and provided with openings through the upper parts of its walls to allow1 inflow `of volatilized metals from' the redliction chambers;I anelectricity conductor a`rranged in'l the bottom `of each reduction chamber, aconductor connecting the same, means for charging ther'eduction chambers, and means'for passing a current through the charges and through the conductors to re.- duce the charge.

3. A. furnace of the character described comprising a furnace body', a condensing chamber built up within the furnace 'body in such manner as to divide the interior thereof into two separate and distinct reduction chambers, and provided with openings through the upper parts of its walls to allow inflow of volatilized metals from-the' .reduction chambers; cooling. means 4mounted within said condensing chamber and adapted to condense the volatile metals, means for charging the reduction chambers, and means.

for reducing the charge.

4. A furnace of the character described comprising 'a furnace body ,'a condensing chamber built up within the' furnace'body in such manner as to divide the interior of the furnace body into two separate and dise tinct reduction cl'ianibers, and provided with openings throughl the' upper arts' of its walls to allow, mflow of volatilized :metals from the reduction chambers, and also provided with an escape passage for non-condensed -vapors; coolin means mounted within. said condensing c amber and ada te'd to condense the volatile met-als, means or charging the reduction chambers, and means for reducing the charge.

5. Ai furnace of the character described comprising a furnace bod f, a condensing chamber built 'up within 'the furnace body in such manneras to divide the4 interior of the furnace body finto two se arate and .dief 'i such within this application, .-.tinet reduction chambers, lan provided-with o nin throu h 'the u er parts of its W'Isills as allow xgnflow of l'ldlatilized met-ali, means for guarclin V said openings against entrance of solids urng' operation of the furnace, means lfor chargingthe reduction chambers, and v means for reducing the charge.

A furnace of the character described comprising a4 furnace bod a chamber builtV up within the furnace bo y in such manner as to divide the interior of the furnace body into two separate and distinct electrically connected -reduction chambers, and provided with upper and lower openings through its walls for inflow of volatilized metals and va condensn ber, means or charging said reducing chamreduced non-volatilized metals7 respectively, from said reduction chambers; apartition dividing the aforesaid built up chamber into chamber and a crucble charm bers, andlmeans for passing an electric our rent through said charge and through said reduction and said crucible chambers. y

In witness whereof I have hereunto set,

my hand in the presence of two witnesses. 25

FRANQOIS LOUVRIER.

Witnesses:

LEON DomN1AN,' G. A. GUERRA. i' 

